There has long been a problem with regard to wear and tear on heavy materials handling conveyors. Such conveyors are usually crane loaded and it is often the case that the crane operator will accidentally, or of necessity, drop heavy-weight materials which are to be conveyed onto the conveyor from a substantial height, thereby creating extreme impact forces. In the past, such conveyors have been rigidly supported so that the structure of the conveyor was forced to bear the entire shock of the dropping heavy weight. Further, former designs of slat links of the endless conveyor belt were not of a construction which could withstand such repeated abuse for extended periods of time. The structure of the conveyor would take a constant beating which would result in the damage of parts through bending, breaking or general loosening of the structure. Eventually, such conveyors would have to be either extensively overhauled or replaced entirely, both of which were extremely costly operations.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a conveyor assembly for receiving and conveying heavyweight articles which incorporates various structures which tend to reduce or eliminate the damage due to wear and tear caused by dropping heavy material loadings through use of the conveyor in its intended manner.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a track support assembly for an endless belt conveyor which incorporates resilient suspension means for absorbing shock forces in the three modes of travel, i.e., vertical, longitudinal, and lateral directions relative to the plane of the conveyor belt and the conveying direction.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a conveyor track and belt support structure for absorbing shock loadings transferred to the conveyor by the loading of a heavy weight object onto the conveyor, the support structure comprising resilient suspension means made of solid rubber shear blocks disposed at the various support stations for the conveyor track assembly which coact to absorb shock through resiliency in shear in the various lateral, longitudinal, and vertical modes.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a conveyor belt slat link which is reinforced in order to avoid damaging deformation from shock loading.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a conveyor belt slat link having an internal I-beam which reinforces the slat link and causes shock loading from objects deposited thereon to be transferred through the I-beam to a support structure of the conveyor.